Tag: faith

Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 8:16-18)

Jesus said to the crowd: “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes what it is like to live in the light of the Gospel and give witness to it. He uses the analogy of a lamp, which is not concealed under a bed but placed on a lampstand so that anyone entering a room may see the light. Living in God’s light is the same way, and Jesus emphasizes that nothing remains hidden forever. What is hidden becomes visible; what is secret comes to light. How is it then that to anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who lacks, even what seems in one’s possession is taken away? In the podcast Catechism in a Year, Father Mike Schmitz describes God’s gifts, that everything we have comes from him. “It’s quite possible,” Father Mike says, “that the only thing that I can point to in this entire world and say, ‘that’s mine,’ is my sin.”

God, help me understand today’s Gospel. To live in your light is to gain more; to cling to sin and keep it hidden, is to lose even the little knowledge of you that I believe I have. There is more here to consider than a few minutes of prayer can unpack. Give me the grace to listen to your word and respond to it and the courage to bring the light of the Gospel to places where truth remains hidden or obscured. Despite my failings and shadow side of sin, let me be a means of letting your superabundant grace shine through in bringing the light of Christ to others.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“You too go into my vineyard.” | Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 20:1-16a)

When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, “Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.” When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven to the disciples through the parable of the vineyard. At the end of the day, the landowner pays the workers he hired in a reversal of what is expected. The ones hired last receive payment first, while the ones hired first receive payment last. The landowner asks the workers he hires at five o’clock, “Why do you stand here idle all day?” They tell him that it’s because no one has hired them. So the landowner says, “You too go into my vineyard.” By saying this, Jesus reveals the boundless embrace of God’s mercy. To the ones most in need of it, showing love in ways we did nothing to deserve, he invites us into his kingdom with same equality and dignity as the ones who responded early to his call.

Father in heaven, in saying I am undeserving of your mercy I contradict the contemporary understanding of a healthy sense of self, which would suggest that I have low self-esteem and need psychological help. But as I examine my existence, what have I done to deserve every good gift you pour forth every day? In the morning you are present, in the afternoon you are there when I am occupied, and in the evening you take initiative to bring me under your care. “The Lord is near,” says the psalmist, “to all who call upon him.” God, teach me to use the currency of this world—money, pleasure, honor, power—in accordance with your will. When I consider these pursuits and their empty promises, I want to run to you. Lord, however the succession of days unfold, let me hear you in your mercy: “You too go into my vineyard.”

From the first reading: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 8:4-15)

Jesus answered his disciples: “The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”

After Jesus tells the parable of the sower to a large crowd, Luke tells us that he calls out to them: “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” By saying this, Jesus explicitly states that the message of the Gospel is for everybody, that the word of God is meant to go out to peoples of all nations. And at the end of the parable, what happens to the seed that falls on good soil? They are the ones, Jesus says, who bear the fruit of the word that first blossoms forth through perseverance and grows to produce a bountiful harvest in knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. An abundant harvest means there is more than enough for oneself and others.

Father in heaven, help guide me today to make myself rich soil for your word. Keep me close to you and away from any path that exposes the seed to destruction through temptations, worldly anxieties, or the lure of riches and pleasures. Give me the grace of greater love for the gift of your word, the wisdom to guard it and cultivate it within me. Give me the means to let it take root in my heart.

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” Saint Padre Pio, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaVQ82g2C4

Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 8:1-3)

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

In today’s Gospel, Luke describes the role and contribution of women in Jesus’ ministry of proclaiming the Gospel. As Jesus continues traveling through various cities and villages, the Twelve follow him along with Mary, Joanna, and Susanna. Luke notes the relationship Jesus had in healing them from evil spirits and illnesses. As Jesus and his disciples continue to minister to people in the region, these women were not only recipients of Jesus’ healing and teaching but also the first among the disciples who supported his mission with financial means and devotion to him. In the first reading, Saint Paul in his Letter to Timothy warns against the temptation of wealth. He says, “But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith.”

Father in heaven, thank you for the example of these women who followed and supported Jesus. As you always take initiative in your mercy, Jesus healed Mary Magdalene in delivering her from evil spirits and illnesses. Help me see clearly what needs I have of your healing, and help me trust that the foolish pursuit of wealth and the things of this world is, as Paul says, a piercing with many pains. Give me the grace to pursue you instead in devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness. By your grace heal me and bring me to eternal life.

From the responsorial psalm: “Why should I fear in evil days when my wicked ensnarers ring me round? They trust in their wealth; the abundance of their riches is their boast. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:9-13)

“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [Jesus] heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Jesus calls Matthew as he sits at the customs post, and Matthew follows him immediately. At Matthew’s house, the Pharisees criticize Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. From the point of view of the Pharisees, Jesus chooses the wrong crowd—the outcasts, the ones to be avoided, the unrighteous. But Jesus’ thought-provoking response is an invitation to his mercy not only for tax collectors and sinners but also for the self-righteous who fail to see error in their strict judgment of others. Through his presence among sinners, Jesus shows us where mercy is to be placed, and he speaks that place into existence when he says, “Follow me.”

Father in heaven, you sent Jesus to call every person to yourself away from brokenness and sin. Help me understand, Lord, and take to heart these two realities: you recognize that every person sins—even the righteous—and you desire to heal us with your mercy and compassion. God, help me recognize my constant need for healing through the presence of Christ your Son in the sacraments and in your word. Divine Physician, have mercy on us!

From the Gospel acclamation: “We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.” Saint Matthew, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaVQ82g2C4

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 7:31-35)

Jesus said to the crowds: “For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

In today’s Gospel, after Jesus had raised a young man back to life, Jesus talks to the crowd about John the Baptist. What the people see in the way that both Jesus and John live fails to fulfill what they believe about prophets or the Messiah. Jesus compares the generation of people he lives among to children who fail to recognize the way of life of either: “We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.” John the Baptist’s lifestyle differed from that of Jesus, who lived among others, drinking and socializing with various people, including tax collectors and sinners. Referring both to John and himself, Jesus says to the crowd: “But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” How do people of today’s generation respond to God’s messengers?

Father in heaven, help me recognize you in my life and within the events that unfold in this present generation. Help me hear and respond to you. In hearing and responding to you, give me the courage to give witness to my faith. As the Korean martyrs bore witness to the crucified and risen Christ, give me the grace to do the same, even in the face of persecution and sacrifice. As Saint John Paul II said during the Mass for the canonization of the Korean martyrs: “Through the sacrifice of their own lives they have become like Christ in a very special way.” Strengthen me, Lord, to cling to Christ your Son.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life, you have the words of everlasting life.” Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, martyrs, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 7:11-17)

As [Jesus] drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

After Jesus raises the young man from the dead, the crowd’s immediate reaction is terror and awe . “Fear seized them all,” Luke tells us, “and they glorified God, exclaiming, ‘A great prophet has arisen in our midst’ and ‘God has visited his people.'” In this short passage, Jesus says two sentences: “Do not weep” and “Young man, I tell you, arise!” Moved with pity, Jesus seeks immediately to ease the mother’s grief. Raising her son from the dead would seem to serve that purpose instantly. Yet, Jesus first tells her not to weep, which must have been perplexing to hear. Was this Jesus’ way of allowing the mother and the crowd of witnesses a pause from grief, a means to ponder that death does not have the final word?

Father in heaven, help me understand the works that Jesus accomplished on earth emanated through the trinitarian unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The fear the crowd experienced as they witnessed the young man raised from the dead is a holy fear, a fear that caused them to glorify you. Jesus touched the coffin, the thing bearing the young man, and the dead man sat up and began to speak. Like a foretaste, the young man rises just as Jesus would rise. In his death and resurrection, Jesus destroyed death and gives life not to one but to all who believe in him.

From the Gospel acclamation: “A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.” Lord, guide me today and show me the way to glorify you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 7:1-10)

And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me.”

In today’s Gospel, a Roman centurion has a servant who is gravely ill. The centurion, recognizing Jesus’ reputation as a healer, sends Jewish elders to request Jesus’ help. Although the centurion was a Gentile and part of the occupying Roman military, he demonstrates faith and humility in seeking the aid of Jesus. Luke tells us, in fact, that he loves the Jewish community and had built the synagogue for them. The centurion is confident in the chain of command and obedience, something he learned as a soldier who issues commands and follows them. So when he comes to Jesus to ask for his help, he is able to give wholehearted trust in Jesus’ authority.

Father in heaven, let me come to you with the same confidence and trust as the centurion. His words are the very words spoken during the Mass after the priest elevates the body of Christ in the sacred host and the chalice of the blood of Christ saying, “Behold the Lamb of God.” At this moment, Christ is present at the altar in the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. The congregation responds, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” When I say these words—and I have to stop to think about this—I am speaking to the same person of Christ that the centurion came to for divine assistance. Give me the grace, Lord, to recognize this the next time I am at Mass; that you are truly present. Just as you were amazed at the faith of the centurion, through your grace may I have the same absolute trust in the power of your word.

From the first reading: “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 15:21-28)

Jesus said to the Canaanite woman, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

The Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel is an example of faith and persistence through prayer and petition. This statement may appear harsh, referring to Gentiles as “dogs,” people who were considered outside the Jewish covenant. But despite initial rejection and apparently discouraging responses from Jesus and the disciples, the Canaanite woman perseveres, displaying unwavering trust in Jesus’ ability to help her. And Jesus commends her for it. From that hour, Matthew tells us, the woman’s daughter was healed. Jesus’ response to the woman demonstrates that salvation is not limited to a particular group or ethnicity but is universal. Salvation is for all people.

God, help me come to you with the same perseverance and trust as the Canaanite woman. By calling Jesus the Son of David, the woman acknowledged your Son’s lineage and was aware of the ideological and religious differences between them. But she persisted despite that for the sake of her daughter. For those times when I feel that there is a great gulf between us—when I have doubts or am skeptical of your ability to reach me or others—give me the grace to persist until you bridge the chasm between us. Help me see your activity in my life through prayer, through your word, in the sacraments, and in the Blessed Sacrament as your way of making yourself always available.

From the responsorial psalm: “May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you! May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!” Lord, let your face shine upon us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:13-15)

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

The commitment of the Israelites to the LORD in the first reading echoes in the Gospel passage as the children come willingly to Jesus to be blessed. Just as Joshua and his household commit to serving the LORD, Jesus suggests that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to “such as these,” the ones who come willingly to be blessed by him. Jesus lays his hands on the children and blesses them before he departs. This act of blessing signifies his love and care for children and his his desire for them to experience God’s welcoming embrace and goodness.

God, help me understand today’s Gospel. To remain childlike in faith means to be unafraid of the experiences that life teaches. If Jesus had sent away the children, would they have grown up to be cynical in the presence of holiness and learned to scoff at the alleged goodness of persons? Help me put aside any experiences I have had that prevent me from approaching you with the same complete trust that a child approaches you. Doing this is not to return to a former state of life, an abandonment of an adult understanding of the world and its responsibilities, but to put aside anything that would prevent me from coming to you for every need and to receive your blessing.

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” Lord, let me come to you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.